Switchin' Lanes

Check out Benny's new video. I really dig this song and it should be out on iTunes and Pandora some time soon. I love how he kept Arianna's stroller in the opening of the video. He takes very good care of his daughter and is a great guy. I hope his creative pursuits find a big audience.

p.s. check out the cameo by my car at the end.

It's Official

Today marked the release of the report by the financial crisis panel, with the blame spread across the board. Unfortunately, the findings are debated along party lines, with two Republican members of the board stating that the crisis is merely the result of global conditions. It's very sad that our country has completely abandoned accountability. No one has served time for their roles in the crisis. No move has been made to reverse course. Timothy Geithner and Ben Bernanke still oversee our economy, and the same banks remain in power. And now, we can't even uphold the findings of this panel. So it's a news story that is getting about 60 seconds of coverage and tonight's national news and corner pages in our newspapers before falling off the map. This is shameful.

Frustrated

After a disappointing day I went to the cinema for refuge. Since I chose to see The Company Men, it's pretty clear I wasn't looking for mindless escape. The story of multiple families being affected by corporate downsizing, this isn't thrill ride entertainment. But I've been looking forward to seeing this film for awhile and it was very good.

Not sure how many people will go out and see this movie, but there are millions of Americans who can relate to the story. The movie is smart enough to focus on men at different stages of their careers being cast off by their employer. What the film shows very well, is that we as Americans not only identify ourselves with our jobs, but no matter how much money we make, we're all living paycheck to paycheck. And with that knowledge, we have to discover who we truly are and become who we want to be.

Refreshingly, the movie offered two very strong female characters. They had sense, drive, success, and caring. I get so frustrated with movies that always write women in as an afterthought. This movie was a pleasant exception. It's all shot in and around Boston, and there's a very strong regional feel to the movie. I caught a few of the colloquial jokes that went silent in the San Diego theatre. Still, I think the movie has wide appeal. It falls apart a bit in the last reel and ties up everything with a Hollywood bow, that was a bit of a copout. But the content leading you there is certainly worth it. If you're looking to explore dissatisfaction, anger, delusion, crushing economic fear, self realization, this is a good one, and it has a few laughs along the way.

Now, The Company Men is rooted in the Fall of 2008 when our economy collapsed. Here it is in theatres, just of 2 years later. Since our company is still stuck in the morass it is still quite relevant. But it probably won't make as much money as it could have if it were released a year and a half ago.

On the other hand, take a movie like The International. This is one of the best thrillers in recent memory. It's an absorbing, engrossing, enraging story that gets better at every turn. But this came out right in the middle of the economic meltdown, and because it had a global bank as its antagonist it was marketed as a condemnation of the banking system. That trailer is not what this movie is, not by a longshot. The movie didn't make much money, because too many people thought they were going to see Clive Owen blow away a bunch of bonus-clutching Goldman Sachs analysts. Instead they saw this intricate conspiracy story and felt they were duped and didn't recommend it. When it came out I remember countless boneheaded critics complaining that the film didn't go far enough to address the banking crisis. Idiocy. Any movie is written two years (or far, far more) before it comes out. There was no banking crisis when The International was released. But there were certainly plenty of banks (and still are) that are financing despotic governments and selling arms. So if this movie came out today, I think there'd be a more receptive audience and it would earn more at the box office. If you haven't yet, see it.

And now one final point, which is somehow related to my inadvertent discussion of film marketing. Our country is still in a complete mess. There is no recovery. Are things better than they were a year ago? Yes. Two years ago? Yes. But absolutely nothing is solved and I see absolutely no evidence that there is any hope for a true recovery. I think this is the new, declining America. Just last night the President spoke about the need for unity and collaboration. And not even 12 hours later the Senate Majority leader goes on national television and adamantly refuses to even consider reducing earmarks. He didn't say earmarks would still persist because of the system. He said he would make sure that earmarks persist because that is the Legislature's right and that the President was overstepping his bounds and trying to usurp more power for himself. That is not a good sign. These guys are in the same party! There's no reconciliation or unity coming any time soon.

People in this country are angry. And there are no leaders any more. There is no voice of reason. And that is why we will slip off our precipice as world leader. Other countries are growing, China, India. We are deteriorating. We do need to invest in new strategies to maintain our hegemony in the world, but we can't even agree on that. Everyone is clutching to yesterday, ignoring the present, and damning the future.

Our government failed us at its moment of opportunity, the banking crisis. AIG was not too big to fail. Neither were any of the banks. If those giants were allowed to fail, there would have been far greater damage in the short term to our economy. But we would have opened up the markets to competition, and therefore witnessed the actual intention of capitalism--for the invisible hand to strike down failing business practices and enable more efficient businesses to triumph. Instead, the government succumbed to corporate interests, ignored the basic principles of Adam Smith's theory and nationalized these industries so that they could go on bleeding the country dry. If that program worked, how come we still have 10% unemployment in this country while the Dow almost reached 12,000 yesterday. It should be the banks and the insurance companies that are scuffling, they caused this. But aside from changing offices and business cards, they're doing just fine.

I won't go on. But I did get to avoid my own personal problems for a little bit. See, the movies really do provide an escape. Which kind just depends on what you see.

Plea to Staples

If you want to help reduce the amount of waste in our world you can help by logging into your Facebook account and voting for my video in the Just Means Sustainable Packaging Challenge.

My video is a plea to Staples to use bigodegradable Paperfoam on all of their products that do not have aesthetic value. These include, but are not limited to, data storage products (USB Flash Drives, CD-Rs, DVD-Rs, CD-RWs, etc.) and computer cleaning products (for example screen cleaners and drive cleaners).

None of these products are purchased for aesthetic reasons and therefore do not need to be packaged in plastic for display purposes. The packaging should instead be fully biodegradable and include a picture of what the product looks like.

By making this change, Staples can substantially reduce the amount of waste in the world, significantly lower its carbon footprint, and become a leader in sustainable business.

I would post the video here, but I've been trying to upload for 3 hours now and am giving up.

Reprise

Saw the green flash again tonight. Very cool.

I stopped into a rooftop bar after grocery shopping and watched the sun set. There were a couple girls in their late 20s in front of me, 3 women in their 40s to my left. The young girls were talking about their various paramours, the possibility of marriage, and balancing friendships with romance. The women were caustically discussing the sexual proclivities of their spouses (which didn't seem to include them) and where to get the right "blankeys" for their kids. I did my best to tune them all out and absorb the lithium from the setting sun. As the glowing orb sank into the sea, there it was, the flash of green. Check please, time to go.

But before I did, I was the recipient of some genuine San Diego courtesy. As the temperature dropped in time with fading sun people were starting to get cold on the roofdeck. A waiter was summoned to light the heat lamps. The gentleman behind was the first to have a lamp turned on but as he made his requested he said, "don't turn it up to high, the guy next to me (me) is wearing a sweatshirt, I don't want to burn him up." This level of awareness is welcome to me after many years living in Boston.

It was up to about 70 today, but the temperature sure drops fast. Right now it's already down to the 50s. It's not cold (to me, but it is to people around here), but it's a stark difference. I've been taking notice of this. Yesterday was incredible. It was one of the warmest days I've experienced here. In the 80s at the beach. And when I opened the windows in the morning I could feel a strong, warm wind. Almost a hot wind. This was at 8am. I made it to the beach kind of awe-struck at how warm it was. The beach was overflowing with people. Bikinis everywhere. People in the water. I was getting hungry and wanted to catch a bit of the game so I got up from the sand a few minutes before 2. The warm wind enveloped the beach. I was a bit reticent to leave. And then, almost exactly as the clock struck 2, the wind changed from warm to cool. The whole feel of the day was different in an instant. I knew I'd pick the right time to head out, and enjoyed the rapidly cooling afternoon. By nightfall, it was 45 degrees. Quite a difference.


As I've bandied about my tasks today I've been listening to disc 2 of New Order: Substance. Killer tunes. I can think of many poignant times with this record. First exposure was with my sister when she had it on cassette and played it in her car while being annoyed at picking me up from school. Then playing it over the sound system at Mistral one Sunday as we closed up with the one and only Tidal B. behind the bar. There are many more.

When's the last time you heard this one?:

Sunday with Carlos

Definitely was not excited for football today and the games certainly weren't too fun to watch. At least the Bears made it interesting for one quarter and the Jets for two. Pretty lackluster.

I turned my attention elsewhere and finally sat down to watch Carlos, the 3 part mini-series on the infamous terrorist popularly known as The Jackal. I've wanted to see this movie for months. It played for a week in a San Diego theatre and I was ready for the 5 hour and 43 minute commitment, but my schedule did not allow. So with viewings scattered between 8pm and 9am, I made it through this stunning piece of work. The film was just outstanding. Compelling, terrifying, maddening, thrilling. The film was fictionalized, but you learned a great deal about international politics and how one allies can become enemies and back again very quickly. Edgar Ramirez played Carlos, and it is one of the best performances you'll ever see. He moved effortlessly between 5 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, and Arabic. And he's playing an absolutely despicable man but remains completely captivating. This is one of the best performances you'll ever see, and it's not flashy or grandiose. Remarkable.

Now I just wonder if I couldn't sleep for natural reasons or because I wanted to finish the movie.

Saturday Night

For my Saturday evening I escaped to the movies. There are a number of movies out right now that I'd like to see, but when I searched the show times today I came across one I'd never heard of, The Way Back.

I just saw a simple text listing for the film, directed by Peter Weir, starring Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, and Mark Strong, about a group of men escaping from Soviet gulag. Sold. I had never seen a single preview, press notice, or review for the movie. I didn't even know what the one sheet looked like, and when I went to the cinema tonight, they didn't even have one on display.

So I descended into the darkened theatre completely fresh. I found a great seat, and let myself disappear into this world. The titles came up, the story of three men who came down from the Himalayas into India, after a 4000 mile journey from Siberia. Truly remarkable. There were no Russians in the main cast, which instead featured 1 Romanian, 1 Swede, 1 American, 1 Brit, and a handful of Irish. It made no difference. Great cast. Excellent movie. Completely unsentimental, focusing instead on total conviction, strength and determination. It won't be the best time you ever have at the movies, but it is certainly worth seeing. Always good to see a film that is shot on location, that is getting rarer and rarer these days.

And, bonus, check out the awesome kid size snack I got at the concession stand! You always know you'll get screwed buying concessions at the movies, but I was in the mood for popcorn and candy tonight and ready to get bent over on the price. Instead they offered the kid size for $6 bucks! It was the perfect amount. I wish more theatre chains would offer this. And beer & wine.

On Mange!

The clouds returned to San Diego today, which was very good for productivity. After several tasks and much exercise, I relaxed by preparing dinner:
Lamb Steak
Mashed (russet) Potato
(Inadvertently) Blackened Spinach

Accompanied by a disappointing Spanish garnacha ($3/bottle).

Followed by a banana and some organic dark chocolate with almonds.

Delicious.

La Jolla Cliffs

As I mentioned the other day, my friend made the epic carpe diem move of escaping the frigid temperatures of New York City to come and work from San Diego for the week. He is staying at the Hilton La Jolla, which is located alongside the famous Torrey Pines Golf Course.

In 2004, my family and I were at the Legal Seafoods in Chestnut Hill for a very special Father's Day dinner with my grandfather. When we arrived, I was at annoyed that the Red Sox game (against the San Francisco Giants, interleague) was not on any of the tvs in the bar. Instead they were showing the PGA Tournament, much to the delight of my aunt and uncle. The grass was remarkably green, and the course seemed to glow in the magnificent sun. "Where are they playing?" I asked my uncle rhapsodically. "Torrey Pines." He replied. I filed it away as a storybook place, not a real location. 6 years later, I've been there on multiple occasions, and live about 6 miles up the coast. [On another note, it's cool that they were playing golf over the Red Sox in the bar, the Sox lost that game.]

So yesterday, I went over to the hotel for a change of scenery. After wrapping up some work (done by the pool, have to love wifi!), I said we should walk down to the beach, which was only a couple hundred yards in the distance. "Sure thing," said my friend, "but, it's a commitment." "Yeah, yeah," I replied, figuring I had no problem with a steep slope.

10 minutes later, I was confused as to why we were walking along one of the main roads running parallel to the hotel and other commercial operations of northern La Jolla.

"We're heading to the trail," my friend told me.
"Why are we going north?"
"We can't cross the golf course."

So on we went, 20 minutes parallel to the coast, because no architect (or zoning commissioner, or overseeing boardmember) thought to make a direct route from the hotel to the shore. And then once we made it to the trail, we began the arduous, winding trek downward to the cliffs. This was a huge pain in the ass. But, "it's worth it," my friend kept advising me.

This is what we found at the end of the trail. Amazing. It looked like the final scene of Planet of the Apes. Just beautiful. We watched the sun set and the moon rise. This really is a beautiful part of the world. But the Torrey Pines Golf Course now has a chink in its armor from my view!

In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

A few quotes by the brilliant man:

"Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase."

"If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward."

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

"Only in the darkness you are able to see the stars."

"Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others."

Weekend Update

Didn't mean to fall off the map. Strange not to post after being so consistent. But we are on a holiday Monday, and below is an update of the past few days.

My burger at Rocky's on Friday was absolutely sensational! First rate! Later that evening, I had dinner with my friend's family and I was happy about completing the cleanse, because the menu consisted of lasagna and manicotti. I was prepared.
Despite the occasional indulgence, I'm sticking to a good diet, as I do for the most part these days. And I am thrilled to have my morning tea back.

Though the forecast called for mid-70s temperatures on Friday the mercury never reached higher than 65. I still hit the beach and made multiple writing notes. Fortunately on Saturday, our atmospheric bliss was realized, and we experienced a gorgeous 75 degree day, and another one yesterday.

In an epic carpe diem move, my buddy Martin purchased a plane ticket to escape New York City's 20 degree temperatures after hearing that I was sitting on the beach on Saturday. He arrived yesterday at 12:30, on another amazing day. Despite the horrendous loss by the Patriots yesterday (what the hell happened????), we had a good day. The city is very alive the past couple days as everyone is celebrating the nice weather. Very odd for January, but seeing as the sun didn't come out until August here, it is certainly appreciated.

Warmth At The End Of The Line

We're experiencing warmer than usual weather out here. Today it reached 70. Tomorrow it is expected to hit 76. Groovy.

I haven't been running because I pulled a muscle last week and am giving it some time to heal. So, instead of a jog, I took a walk tonight at dusk and then sat by the Bay. After watching the sun set, an object in the water caught my eye. It was a harbor seal cruising by along the surface of the water. Pretty cool.

Today was the final day of the cleanse. Felt great again today. No delusional hunger. Was a bit tired, but was pretty much sticking to a liquid diet for most of the day. Once I had some solid food, my energy level kicked right back up to normal. Don't forget, on the cleanse there's no caffeine allowed. But I am greatly looking forward to some tea tomorrow morning! And I'll be at Rocky's in the afternoon. Bang! Bang!

So today's menu:

Organic pb & j in an organic tortilla with a banana.

Water with lemon.

Chocolate soy milk and nuts.

Vanilla soy milk.

Broiled chicken and onions with lemon, rosemary & sage and steamed green beans.

1 Fuji apple, organic dark chocolate and vanilla soy milk.

Local News

The top story on a local news broadcast tonight was:

DISEASED TORREY PINE CUT DOWN. WILL LIVE ON AS ART.

Check it out for yourself.

But my favorite local news moment tonight was on the local Fox news broadcast. The bitchy co-anchor made an editorial comment introducing a story on the new Zodiac sign. When she heard that the discovery came from astrologers in Minnesota she said, "Well there you go. They're snowed in, they're just making stuff up." This topped her previous editorial comment which came during a story on making snow ice cream. "My husband told me he used to make snow ice cream as a kid in Colorado. (rolls eyes) He said it was good."

La Jolla Cove

Today was a great day. I just felt fantastic. Earlier on the cleanse, as always, I was consumed by food cravings, bouts of weakness, feeling chilly. The cravings only last the first 2-3 days. The weakness goes away after about 4-5. And the chilliness, cleansing takes away that outer layer of fat. So no better how big you are, you'll get colder much faster than normal. Fortunately, I'm in Southern California.

It was a beautiful day today. Still in the low to mid 60s, but that famous Southern California sun was shining bright and strong. I went up to La Jolla Cove, where I have not been for months. Took a long walk wearing a t-shirt and jeans, and walked down into the lagoon to hang out with the sea lions. Standing on the shores of the beach, they were all hanging out along the rocks, maybe 25 feet away. Seals, sea lions, pelicans, cranes, sea gulls, just beautiful. And there plenty of people right in the water with them. Plenty of people walking down to swim in the cove alongside the sea lions, and then people on paddle boats and kayaks saying hello as well. The sea lions loved the attention. They would play with each other and show off, and whether they were on the rocks or in the water, they were all very talkative. There were even some seal pups hanging out with their parents soaking up the sun. What a beautiful place.

I had thoughts of the Northeast, covered in snow, I would have been just as happy walking along the coastline there, wearing 5 layers of clothing. I just love the ocean, my favorite aspect of the natural world.

On the way home the radio station I had played a canned greeting from John Taylor preceding the greatest single of the 1980s, "Hungry Like The Wolf." In honor of that, along with my early days of ravenousness on the cleanse, the video is below, along with today's menu.

Another good thing today, my business cards arrived. They look great!

Menu:
Steel cut oats with honey, cayenne, and blackberries.

Last night's leftover chicken/black beans/orange peppers/onions/cilantro in a spinach tortilla.

Dry roasted peanuts with organic dark chocolate and almond milk.

Smoothie with soy milk, strawberries, banana, and extra soy protein.

Chicken thighs & Turkey breast broiled in lemon, sage, rosemary & thyme. Served with steamed green beans.

Turnover

I went downtown tonight to meet a friend who is on assignment here in San Diego. We sat in a bar and drank soda water and talked about plans for the future.

Haven't spent much time downtown since the closing of Xavier's. That site is still boarded up, and there are many boarded up commercial spaces right in the Gaslamp. And as I crossed only two and a half blocks from my car to the Gaslamp Tavern, I saw easily half a dozen new establishments. All were simply repolished, renamed joints in place of old ones. The restaurant business is full of turnover shysters, who own a site and close it down every 18 months to open a new place and ride its crest until the dwindling crowds evince the errors of mismanagement. This is basically how the entire club industry operates. The new places were the same old bullshit, nothing exciting or enticing. Hard to judge the level of business, it's a Tuesday night, but I think when you're looking at the prized real estate (5th Avenue) of the city and seeing boarded up windows on every block it doesn't take an economist to know that things aren't going so hot.

Downtown is interesting. Everything happens on 5th. You'll find some good spots on 4th and 6th, then some more by the ballpark and the waterfront. But every ten feet there are homeless people. And when you wander a couple blocks out of these areas, you're seeing abandoned lots and empty buildings, and you can easily run into trouble.

If you're interested, check out this excellent article on the past and future urban development of San Diego. This city has come a long way. And it really is one of the most beautiful cities in the country. The drive into downtown San Diego is one of the most exhilarating urban vistas I've ever seen. And Harbor Drive at sunset offers one of the most magnificent urban stretches anywhere in the country. San Diego is a beautiful, wonderful city. But it is certainly showing the scars of a stagnant economy.

1.11.11

Lots of writing today, in addition to the usual chores.

Inland today it was 69 degrees. 64 degrees at the beaches. Felt good to stand in the sun.

Today's menu was all liquid until 6:30pm. I should have moved up the solid food portion. Lesson learned.

Chocolate soy milk and banana for breakfast.

2 oz wheatgrass.

Soy milk, peanut butter and banana smoothie.

Dry roasted peanuts, organic chocolate and water with lemon.

Run, Benny, Run!

Creativity is flowing at 3723 Ingraham! Check out my neighbor Benny's video for his sweet new track:

Another Quiet Day

Another day of laying low on the cleanse. Reading, job searching, cooking, and exercise. Hit up Trader Joe's and was out just in time to watch the sun set into the Pacific.

Today's menu:

Steel cut oats with honey, cayenne, and blackberries.

Organic pb & j with banana and almond milk.

Chocolate soy milk.

Roasted turkey tenders with carrots, onions, lemon & sage and steamed green beans.

Another banana, some organic dark chocolate w/almonds, and more almond milk.

I was hungry today.

Quiet Sunday

Very peaceful day. Had a lovely walk along the Bay as the sun was setting into the Pacific. I reached the ocean just after the sun had disappeared, leaving the sky smoldering orange and gentle blue.

Otherwise, made food, listened to tunes, did some writing, some research, 100 pushups.

Today's menu:
4 eggs scrambled in olive oil with shallots, spinach, salt, pepper, & cayenne.

Organic PB & J on a tortilla with a banana and almond milk.

Chicken broiled in lemon/rosemary & sage with sauteed onions & peppers.

Wrap Party

My buddy Harold brought me to the wrap party for Refuge From The Storm, the faith based feature he did a scene in back in November. All of the following is description without judgement:

We rolled up to a barn in the hills of Vista, CA which had been built specifically for the production. The barn was on the property of the executive producer, and it served as soundstage, editing station, and makeshift club for the wrap party. The film is the first of 5 proposed faith based features. There were tuxedoed attendants checking in all the cars and giving parking directions. A red carpet was waiting outside to lead you into the barn to find a photographer waiting to snap a photo of your glamorous arrival. There were hors d'oeuvres, a full bar (stocked with well liquors and wines which cost $2/bottle). I went for water, disappointed that there was no club soda available.

In the crowd of cast and crew, I felt tall. Most movie people are short. The rest of the crowd was largely older, along with a mess of children. A few tuxedos on the men, all of the women were well dressed, and then a number of crew people that looked like they just walked in from a skateboarding competition. Met the director, who is Dominican. The film is scheduled to premier at the Santo Domingo film festival later this year. He is scheduled to direct the rest of the features in the series, and kept telling me about my look and how he could "see it." A few of the other people in the crowd reacted similarly to me, but most people talked about praying and church. Most of the crew, and I'm sure much of the funding, came from the members of the church (which I did not discover the name of). The star of the movie is Michael Madsen who, unsurprisingly, was not in attendance tonight. From the 30 minute long slide show of the production, shooting lasted five weeks. Michael Madsen shot all his scenes in week 5. One of the women Harold and I were talking to was excited that she, and the rest of the cast, got to pray with Michael. She said he remarked, "I've never been around people like this before." She responded that, "that's because you're in Hollywood. We're all grounded, we have faith." From all reports, Madsen was a nice guy.

After the slide show, the crew made speeches. This began with the producer and director, and then extended into spouses and, my favorite (okay, judgement here), an associate producer/intern who praised the entire cast and crew for the togetherness and unity they all shared. Singling out one her inspirational colleagues she said, "I mean it was just like you said, um, I can't remember your name, it was like we were a family! Everyone was so respectful and worked together!"

Interesting night, definitely fun.

Today's cleanse menu:
Steel cut oats, honey, cayenne, blackberries.

Smoothie with rice milk, honey, banana, barley yeast, protein and, somehow, 4 staples (mercifully, no staples were ingested).

Sauteed chicken, black beans, onions, peppers and parsley with cayenne pepper in a spinach wrap.

Chocolate soy milk.

Friday Night In

Staying in this evening for a relaxing Friday night.

The cleanse is making its mark in a few ways. One, my energy is down. Two, I'm a bit colder than usual. So after a nice walk on the bay, I came back to make some food. I was very excited for some chicken with black beans, onions, and cilantro. Except that I bought parsley instead of cilantro. And I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer. I don't have a microwave. On the cleanse when it's time to eat, it is time to eat. You're starving. So, with little time to waste and very short of patience, it was Plan B. Across the street for some chicken teriyaki from Big Kahuna's.

Today's menu:

Steel Cut Oats with Honey, Cayenne, and Blackberries.

2 oz Wheat Grass.

16oz soy/banana/peanut butter smoothie.

Chicken teriyaki with onions and pineapple.

Thursday In The Books

Thursday went by pretty quickly. Got the oil changed this morning by a Honda specialist. Said the car (now at 124,503 miles) is in fantastic shape and would have no problem making it to 200,000 miles. Though he said it might be a little less on the East Coast due to the salt on the roads. Good prognosis.

While I waited I ate breakfast at the nearby deli. It was around 46 degrees this morning, and beautifully sunny. I sat outside, the guy at the counter thought I was nuts.

Earlier this evening my neighbor and I went to see Tron: Legacy at the 3D Imax theatre in Mira Mesa. I wasn't expecting much and I found myself surprised to be so thoroughly entertained. It's a good movie. Yes, it cribs from Metropolis, Star Wars, Ben Hur, and countless others, but everything works in its context. The first half was truly compelling, and then after a bit of a lull there were a couple of tremendous action sequences. And, above all, this movie looks and sounds fantastic. Daft Punk wrote a brilliant score, have a hilarious cameo, and their music is a perfect complement to the dazzling scenery. I'm honestly surprised that the reviews have not been favorable, this is a very enjoyable time at the movies. The 3D really worked. And Bruce Boxleitner is back from oblivion. Always liked him, and he was very good. Jeff Bridges was terrific, the special effects to cast him as both young and old versions of his character were seamless, and Michael Sheen was excellent in role as well. Good time.

As for the cleanse, you'll find my food gets repetitive:

Southwest omelette: egg whites, black beans, onions, peppers, tomatoes.

Organic PB & J with banana on organic tortilla. Also blackberries.

Broiled chicken (same style as last night) with sauteed onions and spinach.

At the movies I had an organic herbal tea that was phenomenal.

To all my Russian friends, S Rozhdestvom!

Good Hump Day

So today was spent making the usual rounds, exercising and, of course, taking a trip for auto maintenance. The tires are now ready to rock, and here is my view as I waited outside the tire shop. This is becoming a very steady past time in Southern California. And yes, I will be back at another garage tomorrow for an oil change.

Today was also a cleanse day. I've been asked by many people about how this works and what you eat, etc. So I've decided to use this space to keep a food journal so that anyone can use it as a reference. I'm no nutritionist, but I can see that there is a great deal of confusion out there about doing a cleanse and it's really easier than you think and very worthwhile so I hope this is helpful.

First off, I'm using the 10 day Whole Body Cleanse by Enzymatic. This is one I've done in the past. I decided to do this one again over the Garden of Life 10 day cleanse because that one involved drinking a fiber potion, whereas the Enzymatic one has all your fiber in capsules--much easier. All your doing on a cleanse like this is limiting your diet, purging your toxins, and increasing your fiber intake. The cleanse costs about $25, but you can find it a bit cheaper if you get one online in advance. You have three supplements you take, one is acidophilus (probiotics), one is a detoxifier (comprised of milk thistle, dandelion and other natural agents) and the other is fiber (to clean you out). You take the acidophilus any time during the day and the other two in the evening. If you take supplements, which I do, you can stop taking them during the cleanse. It's good to give your body a break so that it doesn't become dependent and it's also saving you money because anything you put into your body is going to get flushed out pretty quickly.

Now for the diet. Basically, you want to eliminate stimulants. No caffeine, no alcohol. No dairy. And absolutely nothing processed. You want to eat only whole, natural foods. Pretty much go for lean meat and fresh fruit and vegetables. It's far more delicious than you might think.

So for today's menu:

Whole Grain Oats, with honey, cayenne pepper, and fresh blueberries.

2 oz wheat grass.

Organic peanut butter with organic strawberry preserves on an organic tortilla and a Fuji apple. And some almond milk.

Banana.

Broiled chicken (lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne, fresh rosemary, fresh sage ---that's it, NO butter or oil).
Sauteed (in organic olive oil) spinach, yellow bell pepper, and onion.

Delicious food. For fluids, other than the almond milk, just water with lemon. Good stuff.

But yes, it's the first day, so I had rhapsodic thoughts of pasta, chicken tacos, donuts, and quiche. But I stayed the course.

If you find this obnoxious, in the past few days I have eaten a Nathan's hot dog at the Dallas airport, a Steak & Cheese hoagie at Logan, a Big Carl and a Crispy Chicken w/Bacon & Swiss at Carl's Jr, and a half pound (sensational) cheeseburger at Rocky's.

I do cleanses at least once a year so I can eat that stuff whenever I want, and not want to eat that stuff all the time.

Bad Forecast

Sobering news on the local economy:

San Diego Reader | San Diego Economy Still Staggering

Good Tuesday

On the eve of a 10 day cleanse, I wrapped up my productive day and needed to get the hell out of my apartment. I had already exercised, done my errands, done my job search, and on and on, and just needed to get out. Recently I had been lamenting the lack of seafood restaurants in this coastal city. You don't see many. But I had spotted one along congested Garnet Ave, the main drag of Pacific Beach, and though I had passed over it without notice countless times, it stuck out to me on a recent return from an auto shop so I took it as a sign to drop in.

The Fish Shop rocks. Walk in and choose any of the fresh fish, which is on display, as it would be at the market. Order right @the counter. Request your catch as either a sandwich, salad or entree. You also have a choice of prepared dishes including the requisite fried fish. Sit inside or outside at beautiful wood picnic style tables. Drink your booze out of plastic cups. And everyone working there cares. I was asked if I wanted the music turned down so I could watch the Sugar Bowl, which was playing on the tv. As I left, I was asked how everything was. I told them I would be back. But there is no table service. You leave your tips at the counter if you choose, and then your food is delivered once it is ready.

Wonder why I never saw this place before. This is the type of place that is a destination restaurant in New England. This one is placed along a busy street right across from a Midas and a CVS. That's Southern California.

After that I went to the movies to see Casino Jack, about that douchebag Jack Abramoff. Excellent and engaging movie. Wonderful story of American avarice, delusion, desire, immorality, and hypocrisy. The film was so well done, especially Kevin Spacey as Abramoff, that you felt a bit of compassion for this slimeball. But that is only because it was a DC story, and all the cocksuckers putting this guy out to dry were the same ones who used him to maintain their own political influence. On the way out, a guy was astounded and asked me, "is that all true? They were using all the real names?"

"That's because it is true, and it's part of the public record."

"I hope the people in Washington see this and start to think twice about what they do," he replied.

Don't hold your breath.

Because I'm a cynical New Englander, what really shocked me was the fact that the film was dedicated to the memory of the talented director George Hickenlooper. I had no idea he had passed away, or that he was the cousin of the governor of Colorado. Hickenlooper made one of my favorite documentaries, The Mayor of the Sunset Strip, an absolutely wonderful LA story. And he also made the very special Man From Elysian Fields. Hickenlooper had a keen insight into disappointment and broken dreams. There is a terrific line in Casino Jack where Abramoff says, "everybody knows that DC is just Hollywood with ugly people." Biting truth.

Hickenlooper was the perfect choice to denigrate Washington DC for being exactly as self serving and shallow as Los Angeles. Before tonight, I had no idea that Abramoff was a failed Hollywood producer, whose two main credits were Red Scorpion, and its sequel, which could not even boast a return appearance by Dolph Lundgren, the fantastic star of the original. After that, he went to DC and used his (undeniable) intellect to sway the powers that be to his own gain, with no thought of how it affected all of us as citizens. But he's no satan, because so many of those elected officials are doing the exact same thing, with every thought directed at themselves. Power, legacy, influence. No concern or awareness of how this affects their constituency, the American people. For me, all that grandiose superciliousness is fine for Hollywood, but completely reprehensible in DC. No wonder I hate politics.

Enough of that.

My horoscope told me that today would be important in yielding fortune. I ended up playing Hot Spot (California version of Keno) in the PB Pub. And, along with Michelle the bartender, I went on a four game roll. Yielded 12 bucks off a dollar start, including the three games. No grand fortune, but I have the money, along with the previous money I won in Hot Spot tucked away in the drawer.

A Good Start

Productive day. I enjoyed my tea this morning. Scheduled the maintenance and ordered a new tire for the car. Followed down some wine leads and got good feedback. Sat down and organized my thoughts, articulated my goals.

The sun was out for a few hours today, though intermittently. I spent a few moments under the sun standing by the bay. Then the rains came. Quite heavy at times, they're still coming down now.

As you know, the radio out here is just fantastic. Earlier today I had to leave the house to fill out a waiver so I could take some boot camp classes at a studio down the street. I thought this was pretty annoying because I had already signed up online and the classes won't even start until the 31st. Nevertheless, I figured I'd get it over with.

On the way back, the radio rewarded me with David Bowie's greatest song, "Heroes." This song is incredibly personal to me. And to my dad. It came out the year I was born, and has not lost any of its power or beauty. In a true class move, the radio station played the original long version, not the truncated single version. I just sat in my car and enjoyed. Now it's your turn:

Coast to Coast

Hello from soggy San Diego. Stepped off the plane less than two hours ago to wind and rain. Aside from the lack of snow on the ground, the weather here is the same as it was in Boston today. Except that in Boston it seemed warm, while in San Diego it seems cold. Interesting, as both areas had temps in the low 50s.

I feel very calm and at peace today. I am looking forward to a wonderful new year. My precious new Red Sox mug made it back in one piece, and as you can see I am ready to start my first Monday of 2011 off right: tea and wine knowledge await.

Very comforting to return to a spotless apartment. My frantic cleaning before departing 10 days ago was worth it. Plus, unlike on the day I left, I do not have any slashed tires on my car. Excellent.

So, time to wind down and get ready for a new week and a great new year.

All the best awaits.

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and I wish you all the best for a wonderful New Year!